Police ID woman who uses child pickpockets in North Texas crimes

Police have identified the woman who uses children as pickpockets to commit crimes across North Texas.

Gail Denese Pratt, 59, has been charged with credit card abuse by Addison police, a state jail felony.

FOX4 broke this story in January, with surveillance video showing the suspect and two children rifling through a customer's purse at an Addison Snuffer’s restaurant on Jan. 1. The older of the children can be seen taking the wallet and putting it in her pocket.

"She took the credit card out of the wallet, took it to a store and bought a large amount of goods at a store with that credit card. That's the crime that she is charged with. Whether there will be other charges related to the children, too early to tell,” said David Margulies, Addison police spokesman.

Police do not know the relationship of Pratt to the little girls, but suspect they could be grandchildren.

Pratt has a lengthy criminal record for theft, fraud, aggravated robbery and several prior convictions on credit card abuse. FOX4 was able to find six previous mugshots of Pratt from Dallas County and Highland Park police.

Addison police said anyone who may know the location of Pratt is asked to call police immediately at 972-450-7156.